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Post 20
White Oak

Quercus alba

Location

N39º28.919'
W088º24.776'

Date Planted

December 15, 2005
Special Note:
The White Oak is the state tree of Illinois, Maryland, and Connecticut. Its wood was used to build the famous ship, USS Constitution (also known as "Old Ironsides"). 

This tree was donated and planted by the Don Higgins Family of Higgins Tree Farm in Gays, Illinois.


Picture

Picture
Tree located at
Douglas-Hart Nature Center

Mattoon, Illinois

Tree Description

Tall tree with rounded crown formed of spreading stout branches;  straight trunk;  reaches a height of 80 to 100 feet with a diameter of 3 to 4 feet.

Habitat

Uplands and lowlands with dry, sandy soils;  often in pure stands. 

Range

From Maine to the foothills of the Rockies, south to eastern Texas, east to Georgia, north to southeastern Canada.
Picture

Leaf Description

Leaves deciduous; simple; alternate; glossy, bright green above, paler gray-green or whitish below;  elliptical, 5 to 9 inches long and 2 to 4 inches wide, with 5 to 9 lobes. but usually 7;  widest beyond middle and tapered at base;  turning red or brown in fall.
Picture

Bark Description

Gray;  fissured into blocks of scaly plates.
Picture

Fruit Description

The flowers are clusters of drooping catkins and spikes of small blooms.  The fruit is a small, shiny, oblong acorn, 0.5 to 1 inch long;  nut is ovoid, light brown, shiny and about 3/4 of an inch long;  is held in  the shallow cup, singly or in groups of 2 or 3.


Picture

Riddle Trees ~ In Support of Outdoor Education ~ 2020